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A NAVY veteran was shocked when he received a nearly $10,000 water bill after his HOA made a major change to his home.
Back in 2015, Derwin Smith owned a townhouse in Gwinnett County, Georgia with no pool or sprinkler system but his property manager said his bill was correct.
“Ain’t no way possible,” he told local ABC affiliate WSB-TV.
“I still take three-minute showers. I was in the Navy.”
For over a month, Smith fought against the high water bill.
At the time, Smith owned his townhouse for four years but spent most of his time overseas as a contractor for the Army.
He learned of the shocking bill while he was stationed in Afghanistan.
“When I originally bought the house, the old HOA said the water is free, it’s on the master meter and it’s being paid through the HOA,” Smith explained.
However, while he was away, the rules changed and billing went to each owner.
Smith said someone came to his home and installed equipment in his basement and a $5 connect charge grew massively.
He told the outlet that he wasn’t aware HOAs, or homeowners associations, were that powerful.
“If that’s the case, I don’t want to live anywhere like that,” he added.
WSB-TV reached out to the management company that oversaw the Lakes at Sugarloaf neighborhood at the time.
Then-President Michael Crew told the outlet that the HOA board made the changes because some bills were extremely higher than others.
“I think it’s a realistic expectation that it’s his home and he should be responsible for paying for his usage,” Crew said.
Smith said he had a toilet that ran for a while, but nothing else.
What is an HOA?
One in five Americans live in an area with a Homeowners' Association – or HOA. But what exactly is it that they do?
- An HOA is a homeowner’s association – an organization that aims to maintain a clean and cohesive place to live for its residents.
- Entire neighborhoods, subdivisions, condominiums, family homes, or townhouses within “a planned development” will often make up an HOA.
- They also act as a governing body for tenants, who run and fund the HOA through monthly fees.
- Their principal aims are to keep the community functioning and visually appealing and to maintain property values.
- They primarily focus on common areas of a neighborhood, such as roads, parks, and pools – but may also stipulate what residents can do with their properties, such as yards and driveways.
- Often these restrictions enforce uniformity on properties, for example, ensuring most houses look the same and all driveways are clear of weeds.
- An HOA rulebook of covenants, conditions, and restrictions (CC&R) is distributed to all residents, and an elected volunteer board of directors enforces these regulations.
- Breaking these rules can result in penalties such as fines and even litigation – as most HOAs are incorporated and subject to state law.
- HOAs are often the subject of controversy, with some members feeling that the rules are too punitive and restricting, or that the leadership has too much power.
- But others like that HOAs give communities the power of self-governance, and can ensure a degree of harmony between residents.
He said the HOA had threatened to cut off his water and how he wished then they $9,000 ago.
“It was crazy,” he said. “It was like a punch in the gut.”
The U.S. Sun has reached out to Lakes at Sugarloaf for comment.
Smith owned his townhouse for about four years but was stationed overseas while working for the Army[/caption]
